Jake Peavy solid against D-backs, wins debut with Red Sox

BOSTON -- Jake Peavy tipped his hat to the crowd as he left off the mound to a standing ovation after his first start since joining the Boston Red Sox.

A smile would have to wait.

"I was upset giving up that hit," Peavy said after allowing four hits, one of them against his final batter before walking off to a big cheer in Boston's 5-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. "I hope every last person knows it from the bottom of my heart: It was something special."

McDonald: Peavy As Advertised

Jake Peavy's first game for Boston went well, and if he continues to be this good, GM Ben Cherington should get a tip of the cap, Joe McDonald writes. Story

Peavy (8-5) struck out seven and walked two, giving up Paul Goldschmidt's homer in the fourth and leaving with a 3-1 lead after a leadoff single in the eighth. The former Cy Young winner walked slowly from the mound as the crowd rose to a standing ovation, tipping his cap to the fans while crossing the first-base line on his way to the dugout.

"Jonny Gomes might be my favorite player in the big leagues," Peavy told reporters after the game with a broad smile on his face. "I had some nerves. ... I have 300 starts, it felt like one of my first."

Koji Uehara pitched the ninth for his 10th save for the Red Sox, who have won six of their last eight games and remain one game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.

Patrick Corbin (12-3) allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out six in six-plus innings for his second consecutive loss.

Goldschmidt struck out, then Eric Chavez flied out to left to end the inning. Boston made it 5-2 in the bottom half when Saltalamacchia homered into the Red Sox bullpen, where Uehara caught it.

The Red Sox got Peavy on Tuesday night, a before the trading deadline. The 2007 NL Cy Young winner came from a last-place team to a first-place team, and in his first start he gave the Red Sox rotation a boost.

In his third start since leaving the game on June 4 for Chicago with a broken rib, Peavy allowed just one hit in the first three innings before Goldschmidt knocked an 0-2 pitch over the Boston bullpen to lead off the fourth. Peavy retired 12 of the next 13 batters.

"He was just vintage Jake," Gibson said. "He made the pitches when he had to. We had some pressure on him occasionally, but he's a good pitcher. That's why they got him. You've got to tip your hat."

Corbin had allowed one earned run in each of his previous four starts before giving up three on Saturday, bringing a 2.24 ERA -- third-best in the National League -- into the game. The Diamondbacks fell to 18-4 in his starts this season.

Game notes

The Red Sox recalled RHP Rubby de la Rosa from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned RHP Pedro Beato to Triple-A. ... Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 40th base of the season, joining Tris Speaker (1912-14) as the only Red Sox players with three seasons of at least 40 steals. ... Boston DH David Ortiz has reached base safely in 17 straight games. ... The Red Sox are 8-3 in interleague play this year, with 17 wins in their last 22 games against the NL. ... Former Red Sox OF Cody Ross was held hitless in four at-bats after going 4 for 5 on Friday with two doubles and a go-ahead homer for Arizona.

Research Notes

Patrick Corbin has thrown his fastball 68 percent of the time this year, the third-highest rate among qualified lefties. Red Sox batters have hit a line drive on 21 percent of the fastballs or sinkers they have put in play against lefties this season, second highest in the AL.